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U.S. Representative Steve King told CNN on Monday that he “meant what he said” when he tweeted praise to a dutch politician who opposes immigration.

(Published Monday, March 13, 2017)

Democrats and some Republicans on Monday criticized a veteran GOP congressman for saying America can't restore "our civilization with somebody else's babies" and warning of a liberal effort to destroy Western civilization through immigration.

On Twitter Sunday, Rep. Steve King of Iowa paid tribute to a Dutch politician who opposes immigration and has spoken against Islam. It came as the Dutch prepared for an election for prime minister.

King is known for making racially charged commentary. Last year, at the Republican National Convention, King questioned contributions to civilization by nonwhites. In 2013, he described children in the country illegally as having "calves the size of cantaloupes because they've been hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert."

"Republican congressman Steve King's vile racism has no place in decent society, much less in the U.S. Congress," said spokesman Drew Hammill. "But once again, disgusting hatred has been met with deafening silence from Speaker (Paul) Ryan."

AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, subsequently responded that Ryan took issue with King's comments.

"If you go down the road a few generations or maybe centuries with the intermarriage, I'd like to see an America that (is) so homogenous that we look a lot the same from that perspective. I think there's far too much focus on race, especially in the last eight years. I want to see that put behind us," King said.

Jeff Kaufmann, chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, was one of the first GOP leaders to take issue with King's comments. He was joined Monday by Republican Rep. David Young of Iowa.

"Get a clue, @SteveKingIA. Diversity is our strength. All looking alike is such a waste. A travesty. I wanna be me. All others are taken," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

Rep. Carlos Curbelo, who was born to Cuban exiles who fled Fidel Castro's regime in the 1960s, asked King via Twitter: "What exactly do you mean? Do I qualify as "somebody else's baby?" #concernedGOPcolleague"

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a civil rights leader in the 1960s, said the United States is a melting pot of cultures, traditions, appearance and languages.

"Rep. King's statement is bigoted and racist. It suggests there is one cultural tradition and one appearance that all of humanity should conform to," Lewis said. "These ideas have given rise to some of the worst atrocities in human history, and they must be condemned."

Social media users on both sides of the aisle took to Twitter to respond to King's latest controversial comments.